I PUT MY FAMILY FIRST

Source: www.totalfamilylife.com
sam adeyemi and nike
sam adeyemi and nike

- Sam Adeyemi
Sam Adeyemi is an author, life coach and the Senior Pastor, Daystar Christian Centre, Lagos. His presence in the media spans two decades. He anchors 'Success Power,' a motivational programme on radio and TV, He speaks on his ministry and family

What's the story behind your programme, Success Power, 20 years after inception?

I discovered there are principles that guarantee success and I asked God to reveal my purpose to me. Then, God said, 'There are millions of people I want you to teach on radio, TV and through seminars.' I chose radio because I didn't think I was successful enough to be teaching people on TV. The spirit of God then told me I need not have everything before I could teach them. He also told me that, 'you will eventually find out you are not successful until you help others succeed.' I was a pastor in a branch of another church when I got the instruction to start. Initially, my pastor wanted me to stay back, run the broadcast and other things but I knew it was too big and I eventually moved on. I started 10 months on radio before I founded the church. The first broadcast of 'Success Power' on radio was aired on February 8, 1995 on RayPower FM. It lasted for 15 minutes. That changed everything. Nobody knew me at that time, but they knew the message.

You appear very comfortable in front of the camera. Did you undergo any formal training in broadcasting?

First, I started on radio and my producer, who was US-trained, taught me professionally. Even professional broadcasters were asking if I studied broadcasting. Back then; he took me to a studio in Surulere, Lagos, every week to record. He would stop me several times and commented on my pronunciation and emotions—I was either too flat or shouting. He pushed me further to use an appealing tone and to softly go straight into the bones. It took a lot of training and it still feels new and exciting every time. He made me write my script each time and then edit. By the time he left the country, I realised I had developed the ability to write and edit my scripts.

Do you watch your broadcasts?
I watch it occasionally but criticise all the time. I do so once in a while to see what we put on air, the technicalities and the presentation. My audience has changed over time. Initially, it was just on radio; currently, we feature in over 200 countries.

Can you say you are now fulfilled?
I am fulfilled and happy. The high point is when I meet people all over the world and they tell me of how they listen to the broadcast and their lives change. Parents tell me their kids hide in their room to watch my programme on Saturday mornings because they can't afford to miss it. For Success Power, which is a non-religious programme, the feedback has been awesome and phenomenal because the principles have changed many lives.

What prompted your zeal for success and good leadership?

It is as a result of my experiences growing up in Nigeria. My dad was a civil servant and later a businessman. He put me on the board of his construction company, which was one of the reasons I studied Civil Engineering. I had my job waiting for me, but while I was in school, business went really bad. For once, my family tasted poverty and deprivation. Initially, success, for me, was to live a comfortable life—eat good food, wear good clothes, live in a good house, and drive fine cars. This was because I had suffered enough deprivation. We would wake up and find nothing in our house to eat. My mum went to people who sold foodstuff in the neighbourhood to buy on credit. It is terrible to wake up in the morning and not have toothpaste to brush your teeth! I once went with my dad to the court because the landlord had sued him for not being able to pay the house rent. But I realised that success is not just to set goals for yourself but there is a reason why you were created. It does not come to you by chance.

What was the turning point?
Having gone all through these, I had fears about the future especially after graduating from the university. I searched for a job for almost two years as an engineer. This compounded my fears about the future and I was looking for a way out. That was when I discovered the power of information and books. I had an uncle who had loads of books; I would loan and read two books voraciously per week. That was when I discovered principles.

How did the Daystar Leadership Academy begin?
The number one problem is leadership. People who are opportune to become leaders do not have the skills. I decided to take advantage of that, to meet leadership needs and train as many people as I can. I have read dozens of book, taken post-graduate courses in leadership and established a leadership school. These are some of the things that give me fulfillment. We have had over 25,000 graduates in the last 12 years and they are all over the place.

Has effective leadership gospel been preached to top Nigerian office holders?

We have a lot of friends in government, but we are being very strategic in our approach. Leadership is about everything that sums up a person. It is difficult to turn someone to a leader in a classroom in three days; it starts from when you are born. If you see a governor who is doing well, he didn't learn on the job. We decided to train people before leadership opportunities come about. We have a nursery/primary school and we think it is our best opportunity. When people ask if we have shared these principles with the president, I reply, yes, because we are already talking to the future president. When you are the president of Nigeria, it is very difficult for you to read a book— it must have been a part of your life. We pray for our leaders everyday and when we have a book, we put it in their pigeonholes.

What role should religious leaders play at this time in the nation?

The Nigeria we have now can't be patched up, it will continue to get worse. We need to create and build a new Nigeria. The lifestyle of religious leaders must match their teachings. They need to model the highest level of leadership. Those people who listen to us are the local government chairmen and presidents, we should not expect them to lead Nigeria better than we lead them in church. Religious leaders need to teach values because Nigeria will never prosper until most of us agree to be honest. This is not a curse but the truth. They need to bring in that dimension because even God will be helpless when the people in the country are dishonest.

What are some of the virtues instilled in you by your parents?

My dad was a civil servant and he didn't steal government money. I saw contentment; we weren't rich but comfortable. I saw compassion, I saw love, and my parents are very caring. I saw self-control and discipline.

What are your thoughts on family and marriage institution?

As someone who teaches success and studies other people, I have come to realise that you can't change anybody. Many marriages break up because a lot of people are busy trying to change the other person and it never works; only God can change a person. I will always take a strong stand for family; it's the primary institution that God built in the formation of society. Once something goes wrong in the family, everything goes wrong in the society. I want to encourage young people to marry and not only focus on the bad examples where things have gone wrong. Marriage is the place where you build character because it will challenge you.

How are you able to strike a balance between ministry and the home front?

How I invest my time and money is a reflection of the things that are most important to me. When the church was very young and our kids were also very young, I used to go everywhere preaching and by the time I got home, they would be asleep. I sensed something was wrong. I thought to myself that they won't be kids forever and if I miss the opportunity to influence them now, I would be the one chasing them tomorrow and I would find it difficult to catch them. I turned down the invitations and fixed a time in the year when all of us go away. During that time, there would be no phones, counselling, preaching, and because they know their parents are public figures, they relish those moments fully. Naturally, because I am in ministry and leadership, the demands are heavy; I am invited to speak all over the world, all I do is prioritise— God comes first, then family is next and then work. Whenever I plan my year, I set my goals: First, it is my spiritual life; family, vacation, birthdays, kids' school dates, resumption, half-term, etc are all in my dairy before the church programme gets in there. Then, whatever space is left, I can take in invitations from people. I love to spend time with my family, it is the most fulfilling time I have.

What has kept your marriage to Pastor Nike waxing strong?

God will always give you what is good. My wife is good, humble, very compassionate, caring, and also simple. She is compassionate and cares for those close to her. She has been an awesome blessing. She is also very intelligent, educated and smart. She has been a huge blessing to me, we have had our challenges because we are human beings and not perfect. The good thing is we are both God-fearing.

How do you unwind?
I love to play golf and read; I watch the news, sports, football, wrestling and I also love to travel. I exercise, but not as much as my doctors want me to.

Do you have any favourite meal?
I like rice in any form. Be it jollof, coconut, white, brown, fried or Mexican.

How will you describe your style?
I can be simple in my choices and I go for what looks good on the job. I do simple t-shirts; I love them to be of good quality. I am not very good at shopping but gratefully, these days, many of my church members manufacture the things I wear; they make the suits; the ties; socks; shirts and even shoes. That makes it easy for me.

Source: the punch